Captain Mike and Piper PA-46 Malibu Mirage /JetPROP DLX: Flying W (N14) and Cross Keys (17N)

Captain Mike
Photo Credit: Nancy Rokos

At the Flying W Airport (N14) in Medford, New Jersey, resident, Mike Giordano walks by a JetPROP DLX plane, similar to the one he pilots on 'angel flights'. 

Captain Mike
Photo Credit:  Nancy Rokos

At the Flying W Airport (N14) in Medford, New Jersey, resident, Mike Giordano checks an aeronautical chart as he stands next to a JetPROP DLX plane, similar to the one he pilots on 'angel flights'.

MEDFORD — Michael Giordano has a habit of going above and beyond to lend a hand.

The adventurous township resident regularly takes to the skies, flying hundreds of miles at a time. His mission is to transport critically ill patients to faraway places for medical treatment.

A married father of two, Giordano is half of an Angel Flight Northeast team that includes Andrew Weiner of Haddonfield. Together, they operate Weiner’s Piper Malibu Mirage between passengers’ hometowns and medical facilities throughout the Northeast, incurring all the transportation costs.

“It’s combining a hobby and goodwill,” Giordano said.

The two volunteers met through a shared love of flying and never embark on an Angel Flight without each other. During the flights, Weiner minds the cockpit and

Giordano, a pilot for 16 years, attends to the passengers. He said he offers snacks, talks with the passengers, and generally tries to relieve any anxiety.

“A lot of people have never flown in a small plane before. People are nervous. They’re apprehensive,” he said. “We make them feel comfortable.”

Weiner has piloted 35 missions for Angel Flight Northeast, according to the nonprofit regional organization. The men’s missions have taken them from Nashua, N.H., to Pittsburgh; Philadelphia to West Virginia; New Jersey to Boston; and along other air routes.

Weiner owns the Cross Keys Airport in Williamstown, Gloucester County, as well as the Splash Zone Water Park in Wildwood.

Giordano, who works full time in the mortgage industry, said most of the money used to fuel their charitable missions come from his flying partner.

“(The patients) can’t afford to go out of town for a second opinion or treatment,” he said.

The passengers are typically cancer patients, some of whom are terminally ill. The men also helped a young girl who needed skin grafts to treat burns, and the recipient of a lung transplant.

In addition to the Angel Flights, Giordano regularly takes to the air as a pilot for business and pleasure. He often rents small planes at the Flying W Airport in Medford and piloted his first international flights on a goodwill mission.

Last year, Giordano spent a week repeatedly traveling more than 500 miles over open water, from the Bahamas to Haiti, delivering medical professionals and supplies in the wake of a devastating earthquake.

The experience required him to purchase an inflatable life raft for the rented plane, organize piles of supplies by weight and rely on primitive airfields. His tasks included filling his fuel tank by hand with a plastic container.

Not limited to aviation, Giordano’s adventurous spirit extends to water and land. He also is licensed to drive large vehicles and operate boats.

On many weekends, he moonlights as “Capt. Mike” at the helm of an amphibious tour vessel. Hired six years ago by Ride the Ducks in Philadelphia, the history buff entertains visitors to the city while showing many of its famous locations.

“Visitors to Philadelphia have a purpose. They come to see the birthplace of our nation. They want to hear about American history,” he said.

Giordano’s children assisted with the creation of his tour. He said he wanted to include sites and information that would appeal to the youngest of tourists. Together, the family discovered Philadelphia’s most appealing attributes.

While steering the Duck, Giordano shares facts about the Liberty Bell’s arrival in the city, explains the Georgian architecture of Independence Hall, and directs people to other points of interest throughout the Old City area. The tour includes a boat ride on the Delaware River.

Occasionally, Giordano gets to experience other cities from a tourist’s point of view. During Angel Flight assignments, he and Weiner wait for patients to be ready for the return flight by exploring their location.

“We have a terrific lunch, maybe in a new city, and see the sights. After a couple of hours, we bring the passenger home,” he said. “It feels great to help other people, and it’s a nice reason to explore a new place.

Read more and photos: http://www.phillyburbs.com

Captain Mike

At the Flying W Airport in Medford, resident, Mike Giordano checks an aeronautical chart as he stands next to a JetPROP DLX plane, similar to the one he pilots on 'angel flights'.